Thursday, March 19, 2009

the nyrr 8000 was a last minute addition to the race schedule - primarily a result of having gotten closed out of the colon cancer 15k this weekend (which will work out as a volunteer opportunity). i had signed up for this 8k two years ago (2007) - but became a fun run because of a snowstorm (in march)! that snowstorm was so bad that the mens professional race was move to the next day! no such bad weather this time. in fact, it was perfect weather for racing.

emmy and i drove in and, because it took so long to find a parking spot, found ourselves running down to the baggage check and then over to the start! that's one way to warm-up for a race - ha. said hi to bob and john in the starting corral and, in the next breath, the race started. while i didn't have a particular goal in mind, i wanted to finish under 35 minutes (viewing it as a 5 miler). in fact, i thought 34 minutes - a 6:50 pace - was very doable.

i went out a bit too fast in the first mile, 6:36 - and followed that one up with a 6:35. so much for the 6:50 pace. but i knew, realistically, that if i didn't slow it down a bit i'd never survive cat hill. so mile 3 came in on target, with a 6:49. still, cat hill always has my number - good race or bad. in what seemed like slow motion, i ran a 6:59 fourth mile - argh.

slightly disappointed, i just needed a 7 minute mile to hit 34 minutes. the last .96 went by in 6:37 (roughly a 6:53 pace) and i finished in 33:36, a 6:45 pace. emmy was right behind me in 33:47. i was pleased with the outcome but knew i should have paid more attention to cat hill (and mile 4). here are my splits:

6:366:35 13:116:49 20:006:59 26:596:37 33:36

6:45 pace

in the chute met up with bob and tom from trrc (both would be at the st. patrick's day races the next day). i also, met up with eric and his friend jason. we all walked back to baggage check as a group. then at baggage pick-up, we ran into ilana and eliot (both of whom would also be at the st. patrick's day races). finally, as we exited the park, met up with sal (who had pace his friend from the achilles track club).

next up: after the morning as a course marshall at the colon cancer 15k, i'll head up to new canaan for the afternoon running of the spring equinox 8k. what a coincidence that two late minute additions to my race schedule would be a pair of back to back 8ks? amazing!